The Economy of Snow

Forget snowmobiling this winter. Some people are kickin’ it old-school and dog sledding in places like Wolcott, Colorado, according to The Washington Post. “No grinding, gas-powered snowmobiles… Just 50 barking dogs, five handmade wood sleds and three families basking in a cold, blue-sky Sunday morning.” If it sounds pricey, it is and just at the “worst time of year” for a more popular sector of the sluggish winter-vacation economy–the $6 billion-a-year ski biz. According to USA Today, there’s growing evidence that even skiing’s most loyal customers, who tend to be a bit wealthier than average, are cutting back: “The stakes are high for an industry that operates about 480 resorts, most of which attract skiers for one- or two-day trips, as opposed to week-long trips, and caters to a narrow portion of the U.S. population.”